FUOYE Journal of Engineering and Technology, Volume 3, Issue 1, March 2018 ISSN: 2579-0625 (Online), 2579-0617 (Paper)

Casting and Performance Evaluation of Pump Impeller and Housing using

Local Raw Materials
1
Bayode J. Olorunfemi, 2Samuel B. Adejuyigbe and 2 Adefemi A. Adekunle

1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Federal University Oye Ekiti, Nigeria

Department of Mechatronics Engineering, Federal University Oye Ekiti, Nigeria

2

bayode.olorunfemi@fuoye.edu.ng

Abstract- Casting of pump impeller and its housing was carried out using locally available materials. Performance evaluation was
conducted to show if the locally produced pump impeller and its housing could be compared favourably in terms of performances with the
imported ones. The sand used for the moulding of the pump housing and impeller was blended in the sand mixer with bentonite, wood dust,
water and others as desired in their correct proportions (Bentonite-3.5%, Water 3.5%; Wood dust 4.2%). Pouring of the molten metal unto
the assembled mould was done at a temperature of about 1380oC. Portable optical pyrometer was used to measure the temperatures. The
charge make ups was 135kg of cast iron scraps, 0.58% FeSi, 0.035% FeMn and 0.0045% Inoculants. Replica of the two components
were carefully produced in wooden patterns to make the sand mould easy, while the casting was made using grey cast iron because of the
need to machine it to its final dimensions with ease. The results obtained from the various test carried out shows no significant difference
from the standard result of the imported ones.

Keywords: Casting, Pump housing, Impeller, Raw Materials.

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1. INTRODUCTION

C asting process is one of the earliest metal shaping

techniques known to human being. It means
pouring molten metal into a refractory mold cavity
and allows it to solidify. The solidified object is taken out
from the mold either by breaking or taking the mold
apart. The solidified object is called casting and the
technique followed in method is known as casting
process. The casting process was discovered probably
around 3500BC in Mesopotamia. In many parts of world
during that period, copper axes (wood cutting tools) and
other flat objects were made in open molds using baked
clay. These molds were essentially made in single piece.
The Bronze Age 2000BC brought forward more
refinement into casting process. For the first time, the
core for making hollow sockets in the cast objects was
invented. The core was made of baked sand. Also the
lost wax process was extensively used for making
ornaments using the casting process. Casting technology
was greatly improved by Chinese from around1500 BC
(Singh, 2006).
The Egyptian Ctesibius, a contemporary of the brilliant
Greek Archimedes were the first people to
systematically investigate the possibility of water
pressure. Ctesibius discovered that liquid always seeks
an outlet to an area in which low pressure prevails. So
he used water pressure to blow air into pipes and with
the invention of pump (Lahanas, 2017). These days, it is
all about re-design and modifying the details such as
housing and impeller (Zinger, 1970). Looking critically at
the components of these pumps, it was discovered that
between 75-80% of them are foundry products. The
following questions then arise:
* Corresponding Author
 Why are we still importing pumps into developing
Countries like Nigeria and Ghana?
 Why can’t we cast and machine most parts locally to
compliment the remaining parts that are imported?
 Can’t we cast the whole part locally?
In answering these questions we decided to embark on
producing a locally made pump housing and impeller
using a casting method. Therefore the objectives of this
research was to develop the pattern for the pump
housing and impeller, cast the pump housing and
impeller using local raw material, and to evaluate the
performance and compare it with the imported ones.
A lot of researchers have worked on pump; its design
and production by sand casting. Some of them included
Ryder, (1983), Nevelson, (1964), Ross (1975); Dietert,
(1972), Hoeard, et al (1966); Rollason, (1985), Cherkassky,
(1985); Norton, (1949); Adejuyigbe, (2002 and 2005).
Some of their work includes:
 Working in the area of overall different pressure
required to have a liquid flow through a particular pipe
which include the velocity of flow, the length of piping,
the number of bend, the differences in height and the
composition of the liquid;
 Working in the area of different parts of impellers
and pump housing;
 Discussion on type of Mechanical seal to use and
 General foundry processes including sand casting
process.
The component parts of pumps include: impellers,
pump housing (casing) and mechanical seal. There are
different types of impellers but the one we are
considering in this paper is the closed type of impeller as
shown in Fig. 1 below.

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FUOYE Journal of Engineering and Technology, Volume 3, Issue 1, March 2018
Fig. 1: Closed impellers with single and double curvature
vanes
The pump casing has two openings for both suction and
delivery. The suction pipe is at the same level as in flow
opening of the impeller. The delivery pipe opening is at
the circumstance, tangential to the pump housing. Both
pump and suction line must be filled completely with
the liquid to be pumped. At start up, the liquid inside
the pump will start rotating together with the impeller.
The liquid experience the actions of the centrifugal force.
It flows into the pump housing on the circumference of
the impeller and then by the way of the delivery opening
into the delivery pipeline. Note that the pump housing
does not have the same shape. The mechanical seal has a
spring loaded. The spring loaded components consists
of two faces one stationary and another rotating and is
located on the engine shaft between the impeller and the
rear casing. It is designed to prevent water from seeping
into and damaging the engine.
Pumps designed for work in harsh environments require
a seal that is more abrasion resistant that pumps
designed for regular household use. Casting can also be
referred to as Founding or Foundry. It is the process
whereby a molten metal is poured into the mould cavity
and the end product casting. Some defects are typical
only for some particular casting processes, for instance,
many defects occur in sand casting as a result of
interaction between the sand mold and the molten metal.
Defect found primarily in sand casting are gas cavities,
rough surface areas, shift of the two halves of the mold,
or shift of the core (Groover, 2006). Cast alloys material
grades usually have high transverse rupture strength,
low coefficient of friction and excellent resistance to
corrosion as in pump impellers (Pandey et al, 2015).
2. MATERIALS AND METHODS
This project was carried out at The Federal University of
Technology, Akure, Yaba College of Technology and
Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi; all in
Nigeria. The approach used in carrying out this research
included:
 Identification of two pump components to be
cast, which are impeller and the housing;
FUOYEJET © 2018
engineering.fuoye.edu.ng/journal
ISSN: 2579-0625 (Online), 2579-0617 (Paper)
 Preparation of pattern in wood of these components.
 The pattern was then used to make a mould in the
foundry shop to cast the component using grey cast
iron.
 The cast pieces was machined to dimensions vis-à-
vis the imported types; and;
 Performance evaluation was carried out in the areas
of hardness, tensile strength and impact strength.
2.1 Pattern Making
A pattern is defined as a model of a casting, constructed
in such a way that it can be used to forming an
impression in moulding sand (Jain, 2014). In casting the
pump housing and impeller, the pattern used to cast the
components was produced. The following equipment,
machines and materials were used for the pattern
production, Wood lathe; planning/thickness machine,
ripping and cross cutting machine,
drilling/Milling/band saw machines, set of hammers
and mallet, chisel, pincers, nails of various sizes, and
wood (mahogany), P.38 (Body fillers) glue, sand papers
etc. Patterns in sand casting are used to form the mold
cavity. One major requirement is that patterns must be
oversized to account for shrinkage in cooling and
solidification, and to provide enough metal for the
subsequence machining operation(s).
The patterns are made of solid and well seasoned
mahogany wood. Mahogany wood is preferred for the
pattern because;
 Moisture will not be readily absorbed;
 The impression of the sand will be sharper and more
tune to pattern;
 Less wear and erosion will accrue from repeated
use; and
 Usually much more care and planning will be given
a pattern made of expensive hard wood.
The sand used for the moulding of the pump housing
and impeller was blended in the sand mixer with
bentonite, wood dust, water and others as desired in
their correct proportions (Bentonite-3.5%, Water 3.5%;
Wood dust 4.2%). The bentonite clays help develops the
strength and plasticity for moulding. Samples of the
sand mix were taken to the sand laboratory test for the
following properties which are essential for a good and
quality casting; Moisture content – to ensure that the
moisture content does not exceed 4.2%; Permeability test
and Green/dry strength.
The cores for the castings were made by using the CO2
process. In this process sodium silicate (Na 2SiO3) was
used as the binder with the synthetic sand. After proper
mixing in core sand mixer, the mixed core sand was
rammed into the prepared core boxes. But before it is
removed from the core boxes, CO2 gas was passed into
the core generally through a series of vent made earlier
with a vent wire. The sodium silicate (Na2SiO3) then set
by the reaction;
Na2SiO3+CO2= Na2CO3 + SiO2
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FUOYE Journal of Engineering and Technology, Volume 3, Issue 1, March 2018 ISSN: 2579-0625 (Online), 2579-0617 (Paper)

The CO2 process was chosen among the rest because it of wire brush. Figs 2, 3 and 4 show the drawings of the
does not require expensive baking, and the cores fully impeller and pump housing to be cast.
hardened before it is removed from the core box. The
floor moulding sand casting process was used for the
making of the pump housing and that of impeller. It
involves the following steps;
 Leveling the moulding floor to avoid un-even
surfaces;
 The bottom moulding board was then laid on the
securely on the floor;
 The pattern (pump housing) is then positioned on
the bottom board with the flask (moulding box)
located properly to take the moulding sand;
 The parting powder (plumbago) are then sprinkled
on the pattern;
 Then facing sand which was a fine and clean variety
of sand are sieved over the stern with riddle;
 Backing sand was then shoveled into the flask over
the facing sand and the whole rammed securely,
using the peen rammer around edges and the boot
as rammer over the pattern; Fig. 2: Pump Housing to be cast
 After ramming a straight edge was drawn across the
upper surface to remove excess sand;
 The drag was then turned to face up, tooled after
which a parting powder (whiter powdery
substance) is dusted over the sand and pattern;
 The same operation as that of drag was also
performed for the cope flask;
 The in gates and the risers are formed and the
chaplets and cores are positioned;
 The cope are then place on drag, and the mould is
ready for pouring.

The above methods used for moulding for pump

housing was also used for the impeller moulding. Prior
to charging for melting, the scraps-(cast iron, textile
scraps, engine block etc) are broken to sizes, screened to
remove toxic and other dangerous items before charging
into crucible lift-out (oil fired) furnace. The capacity of
the furnace is 120kg of cast iron with a maximum Fig.3: Dimension of the Pump Housing to be cast
attainable temperature of about 1560oC. Pouring of the
molten metal unto the assembled mould was done at a
temperature of about 1380oC. Portable optical
pyrometer was used to measure the temperatures. The
charge make ups are;
 135kg of cast iron scraps;
 FeSi -0.58%
 FeMn -0.035% and
 Inoculants – 0.0045%

The molten metal in the mould remains for 24 hours, to

allow the solidified metal to cool to the room
temperature. This is because the final structure of a cast
however, depends on its solidification history. The
moulds are then broken, 24 hours after casting, to
retrieve the pump housing and also the impeller. This
process was carried out manually. The gates and risers
were removed by cutting with hand and the use of Fig. 4: Impeller to be cast
grinder to finish up. Other rough places were
smoothening and the final cleaning was done by the use

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